Heals & Son. An Anglo-japanese Aesthetic Movement Set of Ebonized Wall Shelves

By Heals and Son, a set of ebonised wall shelves aligned to the Aesthetic Movement (1860–1890) in the Anglo-Japanese mode, c.1880. The composition features an asymmetrical arrangement of shelves, pierced Japanese fretwork decoration, and geometric cut-outs characteristic of the firm’s design vocabulary during the late nineteenth century.

The design corresponds closely to the version illustrated in The Pictorial Dictionary of British 19th Century Furniture Design, Heal, 1884, showing wall shelves of comparable form and composition (Heal 1884). The second and third to last images show this example alongside a similar set of Heals and Son wall shelves currently available on our website, offered separately here. Both demonstrate the firm’s refined approach to Aesthetic and Japanese design influences.

The ebonised surface emphasises the angular geometry of the fretwork, expressing the intersection of British craftsmanship and Japanese ornamental form within the Aesthetic Movement (1860–1890).

Additional Measurements:

• Width Body - 46cm/18.11" Inches
• Depth Body - 15.5cm/6.10" Inches